Castle in the Sky
by TKCat
Summary: The most impossible fairytales do come true… but only if you make them. Ikarishipping, slight Advanceshipping
1. Part 1

**Castle in the Sky**

**A Pokémon Two-shot by TKCat**

**Summary: Wild fantasies can't make something unbelievable happen; there is no such thing as dragons and fairytales coming true. There's just no way Dawn could make Paul open up, no matter how hard she wished for it. But then again; in the world of Pokémon, they do have dragons and fairytale-like creatures…**

**The group is once again meeting Ash's former travelling companion, May, who've just placed first in Johto's Grand Festival. She's meeting them at Sunnyshore City to give Ash a final sign of good luck for the Sinnoh League Conference – but Dawn is sensing something deeper in the meeting. Slowly, she's realizing her own chances at a love story on her journey are fading away. Then she bumps into Paul. If you have a Paul, something's bound to happen… especially if you happen to be Dawn. A meeting outside at night is all needed to light the bomb…**

**Rating: K+**

**Paring: Ikarishipping (Paul/Dawn), (hinted) Advanceshipping (Ash/May)**

**Genre: Romance, General**

**Warnings: Mild Language, Spoilers**

**Beta'ed by: [Unbeta'ed]**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or anything related to the series.**

**A/N: Ikarishipping is just a recent obsession of mine – just not in a lovey-dovey way. I can't see this pairing being head over heels in love at once, but rather in a more subtle kind of love that evolves from mild annoyance to acceptance, and then a sort of familiarity that can evolve into love. That's why I like the pairing: the relationship will take time to build, which makes room for a good story.**

**Cheers to **_**Frozen Kiwijuice**_** for writing one of the stories that "converted" me to the pairing (check out "Casting a Spell", it has great potential!), even though it's to her annoyance that my heart still lives in Advanceshipping, and that Pearlshipping also is among my favorites… sigh…**

**Anyway, please enjoy the story! **

**-Castle in the Sky-**

**Part 1**

The morning was beautiful and filled with light in the evergreen forest, a few miles outside Sunnyshore City. Just the night before, Ash, Brock and Dawn made a stop in a clearing near a river to give everyone time to rest up before taking Ash's final steps towards the Sinnoh League. Surprisingly, every human and Pokémon of the group lived up to the status "early raiser" this wonderful morning, and the excitement in the air was not to be mistaken; especially not on Ash's part.

Dawn was gently tending to her hair while watching her good friend getting fired up. She gave a sigh of slight uncertainty as he already got down to packing his tent and collecting his belongings. Of course, it wasn't unusual for Ash to speed things up when he was nearing another Gym battle, and sure, this was his eighth and final badge, but she had this feeling that something else was burning his mind. Her feelings had lately had this habit of being awfully correct to times.

Twirling a long, cobalt lock of groomed hair between her fingers, she glanced over at Brock who was busy cooking their breakfast. She debated with herself whether it was in her place to straight out ask Ash about her suspicion, or if she should confront Brock about it. Deciding on the mature over the clueless, she finished putting her hair up and walked over to the breeder of the group.

"Hey, Brock," she started subtly to catch his attention. The humming response she got was taken as a cue to continue. "Have you noticed that Ash is a little… more excited than he usually is?"

"Oh, that," the breeder replied, lifting the stew off of the fireplace. Dawn breathed in the tempting scent and exhaled pleased. As usual, Brock's food emitted an appetizing smell worthy of any five-star restaurant out there. "Well, it could be because we're nearing Sunnyshore…" he continued, but didn't elaborate any further, much to Dawn's annoyance.

"Yeah, I've caught that mister obvious," she spoke in a sarcastic fashion, placing her hands on her hips. "But I feel like there's something else going on…"

"Mhm…" Brock agreed, placing the bowls out to fill them with the stew. "I guess it's simply the excitement of meeting May again. I mean, he hasn't seen her since the Wallace Cup, and that's a mightily long time ago now. We just got the message that she was meeting up with us in Sunnyshore yesterday… you remember her, right?"

Blue eyes widened in recognition. Of course she remembered May – Ash and Brock's former companion from their journeys in Hoenn and Kanto, currently competing in the Johto region. She had been the coordinator she'd barely beaten in the final of the Wallace Cup. No one could forget the perky, sweet Hoenn-girl once they'd met her. Especially not Dawn, who looked up to May as her senior in the art of Pokémon Contests and coordinating. A smile reached her lips at the thought of meeting her friend again. She'd tell May about placing as the runner-up in the Sinnoh Grand Festival, and perhaps they could even exchange some experience from their battles.

"Alright!" the excited shout from the group's aspiring Pokémon master broke off Dawn's speeding train of thoughts. Ash grinned widely, as he skidded to a halt in front of them. "I'm packed and all ready to go!" Pikachu jumped up onto its master's shoulder, mimicking the same excitement Ash expressed with a happy yelp of "Pika!"

"Hey, easy now," Brock said, humored by the determination in his long-time friend's eyes. "What's the rush? You haven't even had your breakfast yet."

"Breakfast…? Who needs breakfast! Sunnyshore City is just a few miles that wa—ugh…" Ash's fierce protest died with the loud rumbling that couldn't be mistaken for anything but his stomach crying for nutrition – from Brock's masterly cooking, preferably. Ash laughed cheaply, rubbing his abdomen in embarrassment. "Um… whops?"

Neither Dawn nor Brock could stifle a laugh at their friend's idiocy, but they wouldn't go without it. It was something that made Ash who he was, and brought laughter into their journey. Dawn mentally concluded that the girl who managed to win over her clueless friend would never have a dull day.

"I guess someone is ready for breakfast," Brock commented, smiling and handing the now stew-filled bowls to his companions. "Dig in, folks. We'll be on our way after breakfast. May's boat doesn't arrive before this afternoon around three, so we should have plenty of time to check into a Pokémon Center, stock up on supplies and such once we arrive."

The united cry of "Yeah!" sounded through the camp, along with pleased growls from the Pokémon. Dawn smiled happily to herself. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that the coming days would bring something good into her life. Her feelings were hopefully right this time. Piplup seemed to notice the ticklish feeling her stomach was going through. It gave her a knowing, yet concerned glance, to which she grinned. "No need to worry," she soothed, kneeling down to pat the small penguin's head. "I've got a good feeling about this. Let's do our best to impress May, okay?"

"_Piplu_p_!_" was the cheerful answer she received. She giggled.

Yes, this definitely was going to be a good day.

**-Pawn-**

They arrived in Sunnyshore and checked into the Pokémon Center at noon (a familiar experience that included some flirting on Brock's part and Croagunk action, which made it all complete). The whole trip had been cheerful and had taken less time than Brock had estimated due to the excitement and willpower driving them. Sadly, that same willpower didn't get May's boat from Johto to arrive any faster, and the gang was now left with three whole hours to spend on sightseeing in Sunnyshore.

They had surprisingly met with Volkner upon arriving at the Pokémon Center. He informed them that they were making some small changes on the Gym, as he hadn't expected that they would be arriving so soon, but he'd be ready for their promised battle in two day's time. The news did nothing to dim Ash's mood, which came unexpectedly. Dawn could only guess that meeting with an old friend again was more worth than two days wait for a Gym Battle in Ash's eyes.

Volkner also suggested that they should go see Sunnyshore Tower again, if they were looking to kill time, and they all agreed to make that a stop on their sightseeing. However, before they could get started, more surprises were waiting for them at the Pokémon Center of Sunnyshore City. This time, Dawn was the one to spot it. Or rather, spot _him_.

"Oh, look," she said, nudging Ash's side to have him look in the same direction as her. Brock did the same, but Ash was the first one to react with a very normal exclamation.

"Paul!"

Said plum haired trainer turned to glare in the direction of the familiar voice – a glare that would send most spectators away – but to no avail. Dawn was sure Ash had developed some immunity towards Paul's "get away from me you annoyance"-glare, or he was simply too much of an idiot to get the message. She gave a dejected sigh over her friend, but honestly she couldn't say she disliked Ash's disrespect for his rival's wish to be left alone. She had learned a lot on her journey coming indirectly from Paul, so even if she still held a small grudge towards him for not remembering her name when they met at Oreburgh City she did respect the guy for being a good – even great – trainer. Every time Ash went to speak with Paul, that meant Dawn had an excuse to do it as well – which is why she followed Ash as he ran up to Paul. Brock tagged behind.

"Paul, what are you doing here?" Ash asked, more calm and collected than Dawn could remember him to have been around his rival before. Perhaps he really did mature a bit.

"Yeah, you said you'd already been to Sunnyshore. Why are you here now?" Dawn shot in, remembering Paul's comment on Sunnyshore Gym being a disgrace to every other Pokémon Gym the last time they met. That problem had been solved already, thanks to Ash, but Paul had still already gotten his eight badges.

A small snort escaped the addressed trainer, before he frowned at them. "You're competing in the Sinnoh League, and yet you haven't figured out how to get to the stadium. How pathetic…"

Ash immediately spluttered a broken protest, as they truly never had cared to look up how to get to the league once he had all his badges. Dawn decided to try and shut down her friend's embarrassment. "Oh, so if you're here, then there's a boat going from Sunnyshore to the league, right?" she asked perkily. The silent, though not denying look she got in reply confirmed it. She smiled brightly. "Why, thank you for informing us then."

Dawn wasn't sure if it was her imagination playing tricks on her, but she was sure Paul looked a little away from her when she paid her gratitude. _He always does that when somebody says 'thank you',_ she noted mentally. Apparently, he wasn't used to helping people and receiving their gratitude. She let on a small grin. _That's kind of cute._

"Wha…! Really…?" Ash exclaimed, newly found excitement lighting up his eyes.

"Yeah," Paul admitted, regaining his smug composure. "I'm taking the boat to the conference tomorrow morning. It's starting in less than two weeks." Ash gasped at this. Paul's next words were spoken smugly, the intention being to create tension. "You should hurry up getting your final badge, unless you already have it, of course."

Ash spluttered red at this. "W-Well, I'll have it! In two days time, but I definitely will!" His look changed to one of determination. Pumping his fist, he said a final punch line, "And then we'll battle again at the conference!"

Paul's smirk was the only sign of agreement.

Dawn couldn't help but notice how much their almost childish rivalry had developed to something much more mature. At least, they seemed to get along better. And if that was the case, then maybe… just maybe they could…

"Hey, Paul," she said, meeting said boy's gaze. She shivered unnoticeably as her cobalt orbs clashed with dark onyx. Only under few occasions had she been under the same intense look, and she could honestly understand why people avoided being on Paul's bad side. But she couldn't appear immature in his eyes, so she said what she had intended to in the first place. "Well, since you're here… we're going for some sightseeing before we're meeting an old friend of Ash. Perhaps, if you don't have something better to do… you could join us?"

Paul's head dropped a little, and for a minute Dawn thought he was actually considering the offer, but then a look of annoyance found its way to his face. "As a matter of fact, I do have more important things to do," he said, then pointed an accusing finger on Ash. "And if he is seriously considering getting as far as to battle me in the Sinnoh League, he shouldn't have time for sightseeing either. If you don't train, you can't even hope to beat me."

Ash immediately felt slight dread over the truth in those words, and not even his happy mood from before could help him get over the fact that Paul was right. Dawn felt a little of the same dread as she had been the one to suggest the sightseeing in the first place, and now she appeared to Paul as the thing she wanted to avoid – immature.

Shaking it off, she put on a smiling face and dug up what she saw as quick thinking. "Well, I was thinking we could do that once Ash's friend arrives! I mean the more trainers with unknown strategies and Pokémon, the better!"

Ash caught on and grinned widely as he expressed his agreement. Paul merely kept a placid expression, but changed it into another smirk and directed it on Ash. "You should stick closer to your little girl friend, Ash. She does enough thinking for the both of you."

As Paul left the Pokémon Center, Ash shouted a half-hearted comment after him about being perfectly capable of thinking for himself, while Dawn couldn't decide on whether to be embarrassed for Ash's sake or flattered that the Veilstone trainer had indirectly described her as smart. Ash's rival – no, Paul – thought she was _smart_. Though she knew not to take it too seriously, coming from Paul to Ash, she couldn't help a small smile. That definitely lifted her mood higher than she thought it could possibly go – and at the same time, awakened something strange in her. Now she'd have to prove that statement to be true. That's how she felt about it, anyway. For some unexplainable reason, she felt she had to prove herself to Paul, even though he wasn't her rival. It wouldn't really matter, in the eye of another coordinator, if she impressed someone who wasn't even interested in contests. But somehow, a strange feeling told her it would matter… for herself at least.

Piplup tugging at her leg was all needed to tell her to snap out of her thoughts. They were leaving.

**-Pawn-**

At three-forty, the gang was standing among the crowd down at the harbor, watching as the boat coming from Johto slowly arrived at the dock. Dawn watched Ash's concentrated expression for a second, as his gaze rolled over the faces of the people standing on deck. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, mouth widening into a huge grin. Following his line of sight, Dawn also spotted the person they were looking for. Standing in the middle of the line of people, waving dramatically over at them, stood a bandana wearing brunette Dawn could easily recognize as May.

May kept waving, and shouted after them to make sure they could see her. "Hey! Ash, Pikachu! Brock! Dawn!"

Ash kept on grinning and waved right back, "May! Good to see ya!"

Dawn noticed the warmth in his voice and the way his excitement seemed to have quadrupled in the spite of a few seconds. She couldn't help a genuine smile as she, too, waved back to May. _It must be great to be so good friends_.

Few minutes later, the boat was tied to the dock, and a very joyous May all but jumped over the staircase to give her dark-haired friend a hug with the force worthy an Ursaring. Though Dawn winced slightly at the huge power behind the greeting, Ash simply laughed and hugged the brunette right back.

"Oh, it's so good to see you! I can't believe I got to meet you again so soon!" the Hoenn coordinator squealed, finally letting go of the aspiring Pokémon master.

"Good to see you, too, May! But 'so soon'! I feel like it's been ages!" Ash replied, grinning. May giggled, and then proceeded to give a similar greeting to Brock, Pikachu, and at last Dawn. Piplup also got a gentle pat on the head and a comment on how strong and healthy it looked – much to its ego's happiness…

They ended up eating ice-cream at a café not far from the harbor as they told each other of their recent – and older – adventures. Once again, Dawn couldn't help but notice the sheer warmth and happiness radiating off of the Pallet Town trainer and the newly arrived Hoenn girl. Brock had been travelling with them, too, and though he did seem to be glad to meet May again, he didn't seem to have the same radiant aura around him. A detail that also raised her suspiciousness was the small glances May would unconsciously take at Ash, even when he wasn't speaking. Dawn inwardly raised an eyebrow. The affiliation between those two could end up being deeper than she had estimated…

"So, May," Brock said, taking the attention of the group. "Since you're having enough free time to visit us, I'm guessing the Johto Grand Festival is over."

"Oh! Yeah, that's right," May replied, smiling warmly and gaining an almost distant look in her deep, azure eyes – almost as if remembering some fond memories of a long time ago. Both Ash and Dawn waited in anticipation for her to tell them the results, but when May didn't speak up Brock decided to ask.

"Well, how did you do?"

The brunettes grin split into a grin before she pulled out something that looked like a small picture book. Holding it up, she leafed through it until she came to the last page, which she showed the gang. They all immediately leaned forward. Dawn squinted. The first picture on the page was of May and three people she couldn't recognize: two males and one more mature looking woman. The woman was very pretty, Dawn had to admit. Her long strawberry blonde hair was quite unusual, though it did remind her a little of Ursula. As for the boys: the one with the green hair was giving the camera an "I'm too good for you"-look, while the other posed happily, hugging May and wearing a green outfit that reminded her of a Cacturne.

"Oh, it's Drew!" Ash suddenly said, pointing at the green-haired boy.

"And Harley, and Solidad, too," Brock added, referring to the other people. He smiled at May. "So you and Harley have finally worked things out?"

"Gee, people, no! And that's not what I wanted you to look at!" May exclaimed in faked annoyance, but with an undertone of humor. She pointed to the picture on the second page, and the group followed her finger. Dawn gasped as she immediately recognized the person and the item in the picture. Ash and Brock did, too. May Grinned at their reaction. Raising her other hand she gave them a victory sign. "I placed first!"

The group immediately erupted into excited cheer.

"Whoa, congrats, May!" Ash said, and May happily said her thanks.

Brock nodded and smiled. "Good job, May. That means you are a top coordinator now, right?"

"Ah, well… yeah," May replied in a slightly embarrassed manner. Now Dawn was the one to be impressed. A lousy runner-up didn't seem worthy of anything against a true top coordinator. May quickly kept talking. "But I still don't feel completely content with myself. I barely won against Solidad – it was a fluke, really!"

"But as a top coordinator… don't you have a lot of things to do?" Dawn wondered, thinking about the TV-attendances, photo-shots and interviews her mother did in her time as a top coordinator. "Fluke or not, do you really have the time to visit us?"

"Why, of course!" May's reply came happily. "Like I said, I'm not really content with my victory… after this I'm going home to see my family, but after that I'll be out on the road again to aim for another Grand Festival in another region. You see, when I first started journeying, my idea of Pokémon was an excuse to travel and see the world. Though I'm into coordinating now, my heart still desires to travel. Coming to Sinnoh again was one of my top priorities! And, then… I got to see you guys again."

The group was happy with the explanation, and Dawn suddenly found herself even more amazed over May's goals and determination. She also realized how weak her own seemed at the moment. She didn't know what to aim for, and she hadn't really spent her time after her loss to Zoey training to become even stronger. In everyone's eyes, she probably looked like a scratched puppy that was still licking its wounds even after they were healed. She really needed to get out there and do something… anything. And then she'd decide further after the Sinnoh League, and take any opportunity presented to her.

"By the way, I saw you on TV! You did really great!" It took Dawn a second to realize the statement was directed at her.

"Um, thank you," she replied hurriedly, a little embarrassed that May had actually followed her battle against Zoey.

"That thing you did using Togekiss to show off both of your Pokémon was simply amazing!" May kept praising, pulling out every good point in the battle. Dawn also commented on her own mistakes, and in few minutes the girls were in a heated conversation about contests and showing off one's Pokémon correctly. They laughed, shared theories and ideas, and Dawn really felt like she was learning something – and at the same time she realized she had a long way to go when she was up against coordinators like May: coordinators who'd been through three Grand Festivals.

"Girls, how about this," Brock broke into their chat with a suggestion. "You two have a contest battle using the two Pokémon you used in your finals. That way, I'm sure we'll see some amazing contest moves, and you guys will both earn more experience!"

"Whoa, that's a great idea, Brock!" Ash immediately agreed, and May also stated her interest.

The top coordinator smiled at the Twinleaf coordinator. "What do you say, Dawn? Are you up for it?"

Dawn grinned. "You know I am! We're gonna show you how to really shine!"

"Don't celebrate before the victory is yours!" the brunette grinned right back at her, winking playfully. "How does tomorrow sound? We'll have our battle at noon, okay?"

"That's perfectly fine with me."

"I'll ask Nurse Joy if we can use the grounds outside the Pokémon Center," Brock suggested, also smiling with excitement. "It's by the ocean, to the scenery should also become a challenge to you. How does that sound?"

They all agreed on the terms, and Brock was also nominated the judge with no protests.

May smiled over at Dawn. "You should do your best no matter what, but I've got to say I have an advantage." Dawn stood confused at the statement, trying to figure out what she meant, but didn't get the chance to ask before May suggested sightseeing Sunnyshore City, as she'd never been there before.

They went everywhere, from shopping to visiting monuments like Vista Lighthouse and Sunnyshore Tower. They ate at restaurants which May picked out from a handbook, and Dawn learned that the Hoenn girl had a hobby regarding tasting food at all the restaurants she came across. They had a lot of fun, but Dawn couldn't get what May said out of her head. It became a buzzing annoyance that wouldn't get out of her thoughts, and she couldn't get herself to ask May about it.

When they returned that evening to the Pokémon Center to find their beds, it hit her like Pikachu's _Thunderbolt_. She was merely glancing at the TV-screen where the lady from Sinnoh Now announced that the Sinnoh region would start hosting Pokémon contests in a month's time. They also showed a small glimpse from her battle with Zoey, the Snowpoint coordinator being the one in focus. That's when it cleared for her, and dread flushed through her.

May had seen her performance on TV. She knew all her tricks. Dawn didn't even know what Pokémon May used in her battle.

She was at a huge disadvantage, indeed…

**-Pawn-**

Dawn was sure it was nearing midnight as she walked along the seashore, not too far away from the Pokémon Center. The air was colder than it was during daytime, but it still remained warm and humid. The sky had grown dark, and stars were beginning to show up. To Dawn's delight, it was a full moon that night. She had always loved those nights, as they helped her relax. She had a lot of things on her mind – she truly needed to relax right now.

But even the beautiful night sky couldn't help her relax tonight.

The others were fast asleep when she snuck out. Somehow, she couldn't get herself to catch some sleep. She'd need it if she was going to battle a top coordinator the next morning.

A deep sigh escaped her. She had just promised herself to do better, and now it seemed like she couldn't even keep a promise to herself.

May expected a good fight, but with the Hoenn girl knowing all her tactics, Dawn knew she didn't stand a chance. Not only was May a great coordinator, but she was also just about unknown to Dawn. The battle they had in the Wallace cup had been a single battle. She didn't know how May would do in a double battle, but apparently she was good as she had won the final in a double battle. Also, she knew about most of May's Pokémon, but for all she knew May could have been using any other Pokémon in the final.

"Oh, why does this have to happen to _me!_" she screeched to herself, tugging viciously at her hair as if it would ease her troubled mind. Realizing it wouldn't work, she let go and sighed again.

But she couldn't give up now. She said she was going to impress May, become a top coordinator herself someday… prove herself to Zoey, to Kenny… to Paul. Her heart skipped a beat as the last mentioned entered her line of thoughts. Again, a strange feeling bubbled up in her. Of course, impressing her rival coordinators was important, but once again her mind came to the conclusion that impressing Paul would matter the most. It would matter to Dawn.

Yes, she'd impress Paul, someone who didn't seem to ever be impressed by any contest move. And what would the Veilstone trainer do if he was in her position? _He'd train. He'd train and come up with a new awesome technique_, Dawn concluded. _And I'll do the same_.

Holding up the Pokéballs containing Togekiss and Piplup, she spoke assuring words to herself and her Pokémon. "I can do this. We can do this. Even if we'll be up all night, we'll definitely find a way of beating May. Guys, let's give it a shot! Togekiss, Piplup, spot—"

"Little girls shouldn't be up so late."

Dawn nearly tripped over while performing her pose as the deep voice startled her. She immediately regained her composure, only to lose it to surprise as she saw who was talking to her. There, in the moonlight, staring at her with the same intense gaze as she had felt earlier that day stood none other than Paul.

Dawn swallowed. _What's he doing here?_

_**End Part 1**_

**A/N: There! Part 1! The Pawn-ness will be turned to the max in part two, so stay tuned, and until then: tell me what you think. Will Dawn be able to beat May? What is Paul doing on the beach? What will happen between the two? Will they realize something dearly important? Will Ash ever become SMART? Please wait for the next part!**

**Thank you for reading! *bows* (_ _)**

**-TKCat**


	2. Part 2

**Castle in the Sky**

**A Pokémon Two-shot by TKCat**

**Rating: K+**

**Paring: Ikarishipping (Paul/Dawn), (hinted) Advanceshipping (Ash/May)**

**Genre: Romance, General**

**Warnings: Mild Language, slight Spoilers (but you all knew Ash would battle at Sunnyshore, anyway…)**

**Beta'ed by: [Unbeta'ed]**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or anything related to the series.**

**A/N: At the end...**

**-Castle in the Sky-**

**Part 2**

_What's he doing here?_ Dawn wondered to herself as she eyed the Veilstone trainer, who was staring blankly back at her. Had he seen her sneak out? Or had he followed her? Perhaps to make sure she was okay; perhaps to keep her company. Was that too much to hope for…? Paul raised an eyebrow at her sudden silence, and she knew she should've said something by then. Panicking, she spoke the only thing that came to mind…

"Paul," she stated flatly, dumfounded expression present on her face.

She knew that was the wrong answer when Paul gave her a look that told her he was half tempted to say "No, it's Santa Claus," even though that would be way out of character for him. Instead he repeated what he had said when he startled the Twinleaf coordinator earlier, slower this time as to insult her short attention span. "Little girls like you should be safely tucked into their beds at this hour. Who knows if you'll still be there in the morning if you get mixed up with the wrong people?"

Dawn's heart skipped a beat and she felt her cheeks redden a bit at the remark. She couldn't be any more relieved that the darkness hid it. Seen from any other person's eyes, Paul had just shown great concern about her wellbeing. But then again, this was _Paul_. Coming from him, she knew it was an insult on her young foolishness. Pouting, she countered, "Well, you ain't that much older than me, so how come you can be out at night then?"

"At least I am old enough to not be dependent on travelling with a bunch of people who aren't even going the same direction I am."

The smugness of his voice irritated Dawn, and the fact that he had a small point was even more frustrating. But Dawn couldn't say she agreed: far from it actually, and she immediately countered the statement. "Travelling with someone else with different goals gives much more than a solo journey. Sure, I can't go directly to my destinations, but I get to learn a lot of things I wouldn't have otherwise… and it's a lot of fun," she argued proudly, smiling slightly at the fond memories she had created on her journey. Memories of her friends, Pokémon, rivals... they were of the kind she couldn't have discovered alone. She directed her hearty smile at Paul. "You should try it sometime."

The Veilstone trainer closed his eyes for a second. Glancing up at her again, he replied with a simple declaration. "Not interested."

Dawn huffed in defiance. She hadn't expected a different answer, either way. Something else was poking her interest, though. "So what are you really doing out here?" she asked, then said teasingly: "You aren't only looking out for me, are you?"

For a split second, Paul looked a bit taken back. Dawn disbelievingly thought she had actually managed to bring out a reaction like she had intended, even though she hadn't expected one, but as a strange sound vibrated through the air the slight shock dissolved and turned back to the expressionless face Paul usually wore. Now Dawn's attention was on the strange noise. It sounded like the buzzing of a bug's wings mixed up with the flicker of a Seviper's tongue. Dawn looked around, trying to find the source of the eccentric noise, but ended up clueless. She turned back to Paul to ask him about it, but was to her horror met with the red-glowing eyes that hovered in the air only a couple of inches from her face. Seconds ticked by as they stood staring at each other, Dawn and the strange eyes, unblinking… and then it hissed.

It was a miracle that Sunnyshore City didn't jump out of their beds at Dawn's scream.

"_Ah!_ Go away, go away—_get away from me!_" she yelled, waving her arms hysterically around her head as she crouched to "hide" from the monster. She could bet she was close to fainting out of sheer fear when Paul's familiar dark voice reached her ears.

"Ninjask, return," he ordered calmly. Perplexed, Dawn looked up just in time to see the red silhouette of a bug Pokémon being drawn into a Pokéball in Paul's right hand.

Sparkling cobalt orbs, only vaguely dimmed by the night, blinked a couple of times, just staring at the ball in sheer puzzlement. Gradually everything ticked into place. Leisurely rising from her crouch, Dawn laughed embarrassedly while scratching her cheek with a delicate index finger. "Um… whoops?"

Paul gave an inaudible sigh, shrinking the ball and putting it into its rightful place on his belt. "I was training."

Dawn realized that statement was the answer to her previous question. Of course Paul was training. Wasn't he always? She should've been able to figure that out herself, instead of fantasizing about the Veilstone trainer actually following her out. Why did she have those thoughts, anyway? Why would she hope for Paul to be concerned about her? A voice in the back of her head knew the answer. _For the same reason you want him to recognize you as a great coordinator._

But what was the reason…?

Dawn snapped out of her thought just in time to realize Paul had actually started to walk down the dirt trail and away into the woods – without even saying goodbye! Puffing to her cheeks, she stopped herself from tossing a childish insult at him for being so rude to a young lady. But she didn't want him to leave already: she wanted him to _stay_. Or at least stay with him. Swallowing her annoyance, she turned after him.

"Paul!" she shouted, and smiled in relief when he stopped. He didn't turn to face her, though that was ignored as a minor detail. Dawn continued, "Can I… can I watch you train?"

An awkward silence followed, and Dawn once again expected a negative answer. She turned mutely and began to walk away when Paul's voice stopped her. "Suite yourself," he said, and the soft footsteps that followed proved that he was starting to walk again.

Dawn couldn't help a wide smile as she spun around to follow him, hair waving behind her as she ran to catch up.

Watching Paul train was nothing short of amazing. He was cleverly using the darkness of the night and the bending branches of the trees in the forest as the perfect training field for his Ninjask. The Pokémon had to concentrate on avoiding crashing into anything in the darkness and still hit the targets Paul threw up for it. The spectacular show of speed and accuracy was breathtaking for Dawn, being the coordinator she was. The show they presented would work really well in a performance rounds. She unconsciously applauded the Pokémon when it hit three targets in a row.

After a while of having the Ninjask hit targets and avoiding trees, Paul decided to raise the bar. Clicking another Pokéball out of his belt, he called his Honchkrow out. Dawn took notice of how it enjoyed the dark of the night around it, and the shadows of the trees really complimented its dark-type nature. She was, however, perplexed when Paul called its _Haze_ attack. The move covered the area in a thick cloud of darkness, and made the night even darker than it already was.

"Ninjask, continue," Paul commanded, throwing more targets into the dark veil. Only the pieces falling down confirmed that they had been hit. A smirk was brought onto Paul's face. "Honchkrow, _Night Slash_, into the haze," he ordered, throwing up more targets. The flying Pokémon did as ordered, but Ninjask's speed was once again up to the task. It avoided Honchkrow's attack and hit every target.

But Dawn wasn't as impressed as previously. "Why'd you do that?" she asked from her spot by the edge of the makeshift training field, catching Paul's attention.

"Do what?" he asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow at her as Honchkrow landed by his side.

"Use the _Haze_ like that!" At Paul's questioning stare, Dawn continued, "You're hiding Ninjask in the cloud, and while everyone knows it's doing great, no one can see it! You can't show it off if you… if…"

Dawn trailed off as her face heated up in embarrassment of what she had just said. She'd been so into how well the training showed Paul's Pokémon's good points and abilities – Ninjask's speed, Honchkrow's natural beauty in the given scenery – that she had forgotten the fact that she was watching a trainer aiming for the Sinnoh League – not a coordinator like herself. Looking shamefully at Paul, she saw he had realized her error.

He eyed her intensely, making her feel a little uncomfortable and vulnerable in the darkness of the night, before he spoke, "If you're looking for ways to improve your little act in that huge circus of a talent show you call Contests, you're being pathetic. I'm not interested in doing summersaults because you aren't happy with the wheels. You're wasting your time."

Dawn found her feet to be very interesting as Paul spoke those harsh words. They stung, deeply, and perhaps they went a little over the border, but the facts remained the same. The truth was hard to swallow. "… Sorry."

She wanted to hit herself for sounding so meek and hurt. Actually, she wanted to hit herself for saying something like what she had in the first place. But she had been so carried away, and now she had by mistake proved that she was far from "smart"; she was pretty dumb, if she had to say so herself.

Dawn waited for Paul to tell her to go to bed, as he had suggested earlier, but was surprised when he merely exhaled and lifted his Pokéballs. "Let's take a break. Return, both of you," he ordered, and with a flash of red the Pokémon went back into their respective Pokéballs. Turning to Dawn, he tilted his head in a fashion that could easily be read as "follow me". He started walking, and Dawn followed sullenly.

**-Pawn-**

Dawn found herself sitting on a small grass-clad cliff bending over the endless ocean that resisted on the coast of Sunnyshore, with a good view of the harbor and the dock where they had met with May just a few hours ago. The clock was probably nearing three in the morning already, and the city was as dead as a graveyard, but she couldn't seem to mind. Her stomach churning violently with excitement was one of the factors. The whole situation was so… unbelievable. Here she was, listening to waves crashing gently against the shore, watching the moonlight reflected on the surface of the sea and admiring the stars up at the sky as they gleamed brilliantly, filling every corner of the never-ending blue; almost like a star ocean. What made the setting so extraordinary though was the person sitting to her left.

Paul was watching the stars with her. Squeak.

Well, that was probably not his point in bringing her there, but the fact still remained the same. She couldn't explain why, but the situation made her extremely happy. Just spending time with a superior Pokémon trainer… No, spending time with Paul made her feel like this. Excited, trembling, happy… it was as if she was sitting by a friend she hadn't seen in a long time, and that made her feel good, like she was finally reunited with a long lost part of her life. Strangely, she wanted it to stay like that. Be Ash's rival or not, Paul being there made Dawn feel good, like she still had many things to accomplish and many goals to reach. She felt that it still mattered that she was there.

Somehow, she could imagine that must've been what May felt when she had seen Ash again. The safety, the empowering feelings that gave new determination... Dawn could feel that, too. Now she understood why May kept glancing at the Pallet trainer. She found herself doing the same with the Veilstone trainer she sat with. _He makes me feel worth something._

"What's wrong?"

Paul's voice brought her out of her high, and she blinked a few times before smiling. She didn't want to worry him. "Oh, nothing's wrong. I'm perfectly fine."

Her answer didn't seem to please him. He dug his intense dark orbs into her, obviously saying that he didn't believe her. A soft breeze blew by, disarranging his deep, purple locks to lie to some extent over his piercing eyes. The same happened to her cobalt hair. Paul didn't as much as move. Dawn fixed her hair singlehandedly, never breaking their gaze. But it was hard not to. She disliked the way he was looking so doubtingly at her, as if she couldn't be trusted. She didn't want that…

Dawn gave in first, breaking the staring contest to look down at her bent knees. She sent him a small glare to see that he still waited for an answer to his previous question. Dawn sighed and hesitantly gave it to him. "I've just been feeling… useless lately. And now May… Ash's friend, the one I told you about at the Pokémon Center, remember? Well, she and I are supposed to have a contest battle at noon using the Pokémon we used in the Grand Festival finals, and I'm sort of at a huge disadvantage," she paused a little to glance up at the sky, trying to calm her shaking voice. "I was going to try and train a little... but then you came around, and I thought that maybe I could… pick up something."

"I've already told you, there is nothing to pick up."

She nodded regretfully. "Yeah…"

They both grew quiet after that. The cry of a Wingull could be heard not far from the coast line as a fishing boat set out from shore. _So early in the morning,_ Dawn murmured, happy that she wasn't much into fishing. She glanced over at her quiet companion to see his onyx orbs following the boat as it left the safety of the harbor. _That's true,_ Dawn suddenly remembered. _Paul's boat is leaving for the league today_.

"Um," Dawn broke the silence. Paul glanced sideways at her. "When does your boat leave?"

"At six in the morning," he replied casually. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing," Dawn assured, looking at her knees again as she pulled them up to her chest. "That's just a few hours until…"

Paul didn't answer. They went back into their comfortable silence; just listening to the slowly waking city and watching the night slowly ebb away. They sat quiet like for what seemed like hours to Dawn. She was sure dawn would break at any time now, and stared longingly into the horizon, expecting the sun to show up. Before that could happen, however, Paul stood up.

Disappointed that he was leaving, Dawn was about to ask the Veilstone trainer to stay a while longer. She stopped herself, however. Paul had a boat to catch. She, one small annoyance in his life that had just wasted his time greatly, didn't even have the right to ask. Hugging her knees tighter, she waited for him to go, but was surprised when he spoke to her.

"What did you come up with?"

Dawn blinked. _Huh…?_ She whipped her head up to stare questioningly at him. "What do you…?"

The purple-haired trainer repeated himself. "What ideas for your battle did you come up with? How are you going to use Togekiss' and Piplup's charms to win over this May?" As Dawn blinked blankly again, Paul sighed. "Don't tell me you just sat there for an hour without thinking of a single strategy…"

She blushed furiously and all but jumped up from her position. "N-No! Of course I… hey, wait. How did you know I used Togekiss and Piplup…?"

Paul smirked this time, partly over Dawn's embarrassment and the obvious answer he was about to deliver. "It's kind of impossible not to know when they keep replaying clips from the final on TV all the time." Dawn stilled her blush, but didn't say anything. "So, do you or do you not have an idea?"

"Uh, w-well…" Dawn stuttered, avoiding eye contact in fear of letting Paul read her through her eyes.

"Alright, I take that as a 'no'," Paul stated, and turned to look at the sky again. Dawn was about to say something, but Paul cut her off once again. "Piplup, the penguin Pokémon and a water-type; Togekiss; the jubilee Pokémon and a dual normal and flying type... Let's start with Togekiss. What do you connect with celebration, Dawn?"

"Oh, um…" Stumbling out of her earlier embarrassment, Dawn bit down on her lip, thinking seriously about her answer. "Well… there's cake, balloons, dancing… and then there's fireworks…"

"Alright," Paul stopped her from going further. "What are your immediate thoughts when you think of your Togekiss? Any specific items or feelings…?"

Dawn had to think harder on this one. She thought back to the first performance she had seen with Togekiss while it still belonged to princess Salvia, her undeniably less clumsy doppelganger. It had seemed graceful, and brought a serene calm to her, as well as the rest of the crowd watching – it expressed real royalty throughout the whole show. A higher form of society, much more graceful and correct than she was used to, yet respected. Royalty of the highest levels, meaning kings and queens, handsome princes, beautiful princesses, great riches, and everything a luxurious though unrealistic life should include. It made her think of fairytales, which again made her think of…

"…Castles," Dawn spoke, smiling suddenly. Throwing her arms out in expression, she continued. "Huge, magnificent castles made of crystals that glitters beautifully in the sunlight every morning when dawn becomes a new day."

She glanced sheepishly at Paul, a bit embarrassed by the awakening of her poetic side, but she then understood that giving her exact thoughts was exactly what he wanted from her when she saw him nod calculatingly. "Good… and now Piplup. What do you feel when you see Piplup?"

Dawn didn't have to think long about this one. "Happiness, courage… it's this strange feeling that always makes you feel like you can fly higher than anything, do anything. It's like fireworks are going off inside you, if you know what I mean!"

Dawn, too busy finding words to express her feelings for her first Pokémon, didn't see Paul's almost invisible nod. It was more like a drop of his head, though. Only the slight movement of a few strands of hair could prove that he moved at all, and with the slight breeze of the night it couldn't really be confirmed. But though Dawn couldn't see it, she could feel the intense stare that had been holding her for a while, soften even so slightly. Letting her curiosity get the best of her, she decided to ask, but was given no time as Paul gave her one last exercise.

"Now, combine the two."

For a moment, Dawn looked questioningly at the Veilstone trainer. A second later, her cobalt eyes widened to become almost impossibly big as she realized something gravely important. Her pink lips twitched into a soft smile, and then into a full-blown grin. Everything was falling into place now. "Of course… of course, that's what I have to do! Why didn't I realize sooner!" she exclaimed, excitement bubbling up in her like she was going for her first contest ever, all over again. "I already have everything I need, I just have to see it as a whole, do something only I can do… It's perfect. It's so perfect! Oh, I have a lot to do now! I need to work hard!"

She jumped up in sheer bliss, laughing loudly with joy as the ideas kept popping up in her mind. She spun around and threw her hands up at the night sky, not knowing what to do with all the positive energy that filled her. Everything just felt so right. Then she spotted Paul, standing at the exact same spot he had since he stood up, but with a huge difference that made Dawn's heart jump again. He wasn't laughing. He wasn't smiling either, but he wasn't smirking one of his usual degrading smirks. Instead, there was something in-between; a small tug of the lip that made his whole face light up in some sort of amusement. Amusement of the good kind, mind you. He almost seemed… glad. He was glad for her.

Dawn couldn't really decide what she should think about that conclusion, but she knew one thing for sure. That was the pure, sweet happiness she felt when looking at the boy who had just helped her out big-time; the boy who had second handedly helped her though her whole journey. This boy made her feel safe. This boy made her feel worth something again. She wanted to share that happiness with him, Paul: the closed off boy that somehow lit a Christmas tree of feelings in her.

_I want him to feel the same_.

Closing the distance between them with a few lighthearted steps, Dawn stood less than a foot's length from the Veilstone trainer, smiling brightly up at him.

Paul stared bewildered down at her as she leaned closer – too close for the normal comfort. She stood out like a lighthouse in the near-dark. It was impossible not to notice how her long, dark hair complimented her paler, though healthy-looking complexion; or how her eyes looked so much deeper when standing so close, like oceans of cobalt velvet; or even how her pale pink lips moved temptingly as she caringly spoke three simple words that usually weren't directed at him. Three simple words that made a usually stone-cold heart skip a couple of beats. Three simple words…

"Paul…"

**-Pawn-**

The night was at its deathbed. More life, though still subtle, could be observed in the harbor, and several boats started moving out to the sea, Wringulls following them on their way. The air was still a little cold, and dew gathered up at the chilled leaves of the trees as a rush of warmer air came to pass. A streak of light appeared in the horizon, telling of the birth of a new day. Sunnyshore city would soon be buzzing with life – but for now, this was the ideal time to lie in ones bed and wait to rise with the sun…

"Dawn! What's up with dragging us out at this hour?" Ash groaned loudly, followed by yawns coming from May and Brock.

"Quit complaining!" Dawn replied back as she continued to lead the way away from the Pokémon Center, mystifying the gang with her unusually grand cheeriness. When she saw them tagging too far behind for her liking, she turned around to urge them on. "Come on, come on! We haven't got all morning, you know!"

"Pi…" Pikachu's tired sigh accompanied by a load of exhausted groans sounded through the dim morning, but Dawn paid them no mind.

After a couple of minutes of walking, Dawn came to a halt. She turned and grinned at the gang as they took in the scenery. They were standing at the shoreline, right next to the ocean, with an outstanding sight of the slowly waking harbor. The strong green of the grass clashed wonderfully with the blue of the ocean and the white in the horizon. Vista Lighthouse provided a strange effect to the scene, the light it emitted bouncing off of the waves. It was truly a beautiful sight, but what would Dawn want them here for?

May was the one to ask as she tiredly rubbed her left eye. The Hoenn coordinator was however fully alerted when she saw the determination shining in the blue-haired girl's eyes. It was empowered by the growing light of the day as it reflected brilliantly in her cobalt eyes. May knew what Dawn wanted even before she opened her mouth. "Our battle… I want to have it here. Here and now."

And May accepted, sporting a grin herself. "You're on, Dawn. But don't think you'll be at an advantage just because I just woke up," she warned, pulling her gloves down to secure them on her hands. "I'm always ready for a battle."

"I wouldn't want it any other way," Dawn replied, smiling challengingly at the brunette.

"Hey, wait," Ash shot in, giving the girls an exhausted smile. "Can't you just wait until noon as planned? I really want to be awake to watch it, not half asleep…"

"No!" the girls replied in unison, glaring daggers at the poor Pallet trainer. May then smiled gently at his stunned expression. "Now is as good as ever," she said, then looked up at Dawn again. "Let's get it on."

Ash backed away to slump down at the sideline with Pikachu as the girls took their position. Brock sighed tiredly, but knew that there was no rocking those girls if they said no to even Ash. "I guess I'll get the Pokégear ready…"

Brock explained how he had been talking to Khoury's father the evening after they returned to the Pokémon Center to receive a new prototype function to his Pokégear. The function, dubbed "Contest Card 1.6", would enable Brock to judge an unofficial Contest battle by taking points from the participants using the Pokégear. They were all amazed by the new addition in the Pokégear, and the boys immediately got it up and running by plugging it to a portable TV-screen they got from the Pokémon Center.

Now they could finally begin.

Brock looked between the two contestants, eying the fiery spirits shown in their eyes. He was smiling to himself as he deliberated that they had both grown enormously since he first met them. This could be one tough battle.

"We'll be doing this in Sinnoh Contest style, using ball capsules. Everyone ready?" he asked, and was answered by two curt nods. "Alright… Begin!"

Dawn went first, pulling out her two capsules, both marked with the Bubble seal. She grinned in excitement as she did her usual contest pose, releasing both Pokémon. "Piplup, Togekiss… spotlight!" The Pokémon were shown off in a field of bubbles that ultimately brought out the serene blues of their coats. Piplup landed in front of Togekiss, appearing as a cute mascot in front of the graceful Pokémon behind it. Dawn smirked as her Pokémon posed. _Entrance, success!_

"Cute," May commented, bringing out her capsules. "But that's nothing against these! Come on, you two! Take the stage!"

Blue bubbles once again covered the field, disabling Dawn from seeing the Pokémon entering. However, with a raging battle cry from within the bubbles, small green lightning from what must've been the Ele-seal shot out from a center in the mass of foam, popping every single bubble into incredible fine, glittery dust in the shades of blue and green. The elegant form of Glaceon was revealed, fur standing out beautifully in the cloud of dust, but what really captured Dawn's attention was the other Pokémon May sent out. Landing powerfully behind Glaceon, like a master behind its pet, stood Blaziken like a blistering torch in the night. The display of power seethed through the night, making the Twinleaf coordinator shiver.

Dawn immediately steeled her nerves as she realized that. She had to focus. These were the Pokémon May used when she won the Johto Grand Festival. These were the Pokémon she had to beat. She had already fought and won against Glaceon, but Blaziken was a whole new territory for her. And at that, both Pokémon must've grown stronger over the last months. She felt her hands quiver in anticipation as she opened her mouth to call the first move.

_Please… watch me._

"Piplup, use _Bubblebeam!_"

**-Pawn-**

Paul leaned against the ice cold rails of the boat he was taking. The night had proved colder than he had first anticipated. Right now, he couldn't wait for the first warming sunrays. He was cold, and additionally he was tired. Sitting out at night with a perky coordinator did that with you. That Dawn… she had really been bubbling with energy when he left her to pack his bags. If he had caught her right, she was going to use that energy to battle another coordinator at noon.

He snorted quietly. It was almost a shame that he couldn't be there to watch. He wanted to see if she could actually do something talented with all that raw energy. Perhaps she wasn't the brightest Magnemite in the power plant, but she did have something promising about her… for being a coordinator.

Personally, he couldn't stand coordinating. All the superficial glitter and glam they brought over the old art of Pokémon battling was sickening to him. Pokémon were helpful guardians and good for helping out with work in the daily life – they were not dolls you could stash up to make entertainment for fashion-freaks. Battling, after Paul's opinion, helped Pokémon use their abilities to protect and help their trainer. Coordinating didn't. It was as simple as that.

But Dawn was different. Not in her way of coordinating, but there was something about her Perhaps her fighting spirit, which reminded very much of the spirit of a Pokémon trainer. She wished to become stronger, more so than being a fashion icon. Sure, like every other coordinator, that was appealing to her as well, but her will to become stronger was outstanding comparing to them.

Perhaps that was what had him so…

The rumbling of the boat as it left shore shook him out of his thoughts. He closed his tired eyes for a moment, breathing in the salt air as he was carried away from the harbor. The clock was past six, then. Soon enough, the sun would rise, he concluded, looking over at the horizon. But as a blazing streak of red appeared in his vision, he knew sunrise wouldn't come that soon.

Glancing to his side, he found the red light coming from the darkness of the opposite shore. His onyx eyes widened slightly. That was the blazing of a _Flamethrower _attack. No mistaking it. A second later, the spinning of a _Whirlpool_ captured the blazing fire, balancing fire and water perfectly in a deadly spin.

His mouth formed a thin line as he realized what this was.

_Dawn…_

Paul's full attention was now at the coast line, gaze never faltering as he watched the raging moves of a contest battle from afar.

…_I'm watching you_.

**-Pawn-**

The battle had been raging on for some time now. Attacks and combinations of the highest levels had been exchanged between the two coordinators. Dawn had managed to surprise May with her new array of combinations and techniques, but on the other hand, she never knew what May was going to do next. She had been ultimately surprised, and perhaps a little annoyed, when May imitated her _Flame-Ice_ combination by mixing _Ember_ and _Ice Shard_ into a beautiful storm she dubbed _Blazing Blizzard_. Both Togekiss and Piplup had taken damage from that move, even though Togekiss had managed to fly them into safety.

Ash had been cheering from the sideline along with Pikachu, urging both coordinators to go on. Strangely, this affected May more than his current travelling companion, and Dawn found herself pushed back every time Ash gave them a compliment – either because May wanted to prove it right, or because she wanted to prove it better than Dawn.

Brock was measuring points, being as fair as any judge should be. Shown on the screen, three minutes remained and May was in a clear lead.

However, when May commanded Blaziken to shoot another _Flamethrower_ directed at the flying Togekiss, Dawn hatched a plan to turn the tables. She ordered Piplup to launch a _Whirlpool_ while spinning to make room for the fire in between the waves of water. She gave a victorious cheer as it succeeded, resulting in Piplup holding on to spirals of fire and water. Blaziken had just landed very close to Glaceon, and Dawn took this as her chance to create massive damage.

"Alright, Piplup!" she shouted he command, "Throw it, now!"

"_Pip-Piplup!_" the penguin Pokémon gave a battle cry as it threw the heavy combination move at the two Pokémon. Dawn grinned as it was a sure hit, but her expression faded as she saw May smirk knowingly at her.

"I was waiting for this opportunity," she said, turning to her Glaceon. Dawn knew right away that something was up. "Let's go. Use your _Iron Tail!_"

Cold dread washed over the Twinleaf coordinator as she watched the ice-type do the exact same thing Zoey had her Glameow do to ruin her act during the finals. She was losing points now May had waited for her to slip up like that so she could use her advanced knowledge to throw it right back at Dawn… literally in this case.

"Spin it, and add _Ice Shard_," May then ordered, and Glaceon instantaneously spun the flaming _Whirlpool_ to make room for needle-sharp shards of ice. Dawn panicked, not knowing what to do to avoid the hit when it came. Togekiss was still soaring, and could graciously avoid the attack, but it wouldn't have the time to pick up Piplup from the ground. Piplup was in some serious danger. May kept up the act. "And now Blaziken, show them a _Mega Kick! _Send it flying!"

The Blaze Pokémon lit up with the energy needed to perform the commanded attack. Dawn watched it jump up and swing its leg at the gleaming multiple-elemental _Whirlpool_, dreading it as she saw it work. The combined attack soared towards Piplup. She swallowed dryly. This would be a chance game. If it worked, she'd hit back. And if not… she hadn't thought about that yet. But for now, it was all on one chance.

_Please make it work_, she prayed, before shouting desperately out to a fearful Piplup. "Piplup, stand your ground! Use _Bide!_"

The penguin did as its master told it, taking its stance right in front of the attack. Dawn's determination had reached it, but if it would work was another story. As the impact came, Dawn couldn't help but shut her eyes tightly until the flashing lights were gone. It darkened once more, and as she slowly cracked her eyes open, she found herself staring at a glowing cloud of smoke. No, just smoke, but with a glowing source inside it.

It cleared slowly, and Dawn unconsciously noticed less than two minutes remained on the clock. Both Ash and Brock stared intensely at the smoke as it settled down, and May kept a straight face as she waited for the results of her attack. It was deadly quiet on the field. A large lump formed in the Twinleaf coordinator's throat, and she wished dearly that it would be alright. _No need to worry… right…?_

Suddenly the lump disappeared. The smoke had cleared completely, and Piplup was still standing, body filled with the energy of the _Bide_. Its coat gleamed luminously, and it appeared as a small star standing in the middle of the battlefield. Slowly, it turned around to face her, giving a curt nod to sign it was okay. Dawn couldn't have been more grateful. A smile found its way to her face.

Now it was her turn.

May stood awed at the other side of the field, admiring the sheer beauty of the small penguin, but was alerted when Dawn gained a very confident expression on her face. Raising her voice, she commanded Togekiss to fly down to Piplup. May knew not to let that happen and immediately had Glaceon mix its _Ice Beam_ with Blaziken's _Flame Thrower_ to bring down the royal Pokémon, but to no avail as it made it down to the still glowing Piplup.

"Alright, jump onto Togekiss, Piplup!" Dawn commanded next, grinning at May's frustration. "Fly straight up!"

The Pokémon did as ordered, resulting in a glowing star sending out rays of light soaring up into the night. Just as this went on, the sunrise finally came. The display ended up as a star fleeing the growing light of a new day, in a way no one had ever seen performed in a Pokémon contest before. May lost a great deal of points, but Dawn wasn't anywhere near finished.

And spotting a boat leaving shore over at the harbor only strengthened her willpower.

Dawn smiled knowingly, cobalt eyes following the small, dark figure standing on the deck and following her every move. This was it. "Let's build a castle," she spoke quietly, to herself more than her Pokémon – and to the figure even more so. She turned her attention on the soaring combination, and gave her next command. "Piplup, Togekiss, let's try what I told you about earlier! _Bubblebeam _and _Air Slash_, let's go!"

May was at a loss as she watched Dawn's Pokémon work together up in the sky, using Togekiss' _Air Slash_ to catch and form Piplup's bubbles into some sort of great construction. She couldn't do anything to stop whatever was going on as she couldn't even spot the two Pokémon in the cloud of bubbles surrounding them. The sun rose further above the horizon and the sight that met them all was more striking and breath-taking than anything they had seen so far in the battle.

High up in the air, slowly sinking down towards the ground, stood a castle made solely of bubbles and sea foam. Every glossy bubble reflected the growing morning light, making the castle shine in the colors of a new day. Its reflection bounced off of the surface of the ocean, making it seem like two castles – one in the sky and one under water. Both coordinators stood unmoving as the palace of bubbles soared down to them.

May was about to have her Pokémon destroy the castle and use the glittering of the bubbles to her own benefit, but Dawn took action first. "Now, release the energy, Piplup!"

In the matter of seconds, the castle exploded into an array of shining dust and glowing bubbles moving out in every direction, bathing Sunnyshore City in the beautiful radiance. The light show had May's attention for a few long seconds until she realized she had been fooled. She turned her head back to the battle just in time to see the burning red aura of Dawn's _Sky Attack-Peck _combination aiming straight for her Pokémon.

She desperately yelled out for a countering _Blaze Kick _and _Shadow Ball_, but it was already too late. The impact was unavoidable.

Bright pulses of light were sent out with immense force. Morning suddenly became Day in Sunnyshore City.

**-Pawn-**

Paul was now not the only spectator to the show going on over at the shoreline, but the amazed comments and cheers coming from his co-passengers didn't bother his attention at all. He was firmly watching the castle in the sky as it exploded, sending bubbles flying everywhere – including the boats way. The display was breath-taking – even Paul couldn't say something at that – and the audience was laughing and cheering as the bubbles reached the boat.

The Veilstone trainer was busy trying to spot Dawn's Pokémon up there, and didn't notice a bubble right in front of him before it touched his nose. He staggered back, staring suspiciously at the thing as it didn't break. It neared him again, this time stopping in front of him. He then noticed the inscription on the surface, made out of sea foam that formed three simple words.

Then his thoughts went back to just a few hours before.

"_Paul…_" _she spoke sweetly, face slowly nearing his. He could feel her warm breath on his cold cheeks, gently caressing the pale skin there. He was about to ask her what she was doing, and tell her to stop._

_She didn't know what she did to him. She didn't know how she made him feel. She didn't know that he hated how obsessed she was with coordinating and her friends to even notice that he had trouble trying to stare her down like he did with everyone else. She didn't know that he hated it when she cheered at his rival instead of him. She didn't know that he wanted her to smile at him more…_

_Dawn would never know that the next words she spoke only meant so much to him when they came from her._

He read the words slowly, and was inwardly grateful that everyone's attention was at the show on shore… No one saw how his face heated up in a strange sort of deep embarrassment.

"…_Thank you."_

_The warm lips pressed onto his cheek could've melted the greatest ice bergs out there. He'd know, because they had already melted the ice covering his heart._

A pale hand came up to gently touch the same spot Dawn had kissed him, still feeling the velvet touch on his cheek. He was about to touch the bubble, perhaps shade it from any sort of destruction, just as a sharp pulse of light hit the boat. The bubble burst into golden glitter, blinding him for a second.

Then everything was gone.

Only the words inscribed on the bubble echoed in his head. _"Thank you."_

_Dawn pulled back, before hoping a few feet away from the shocked trainer. She grinned brightly, eyes shining with cheeriness as she looked at his hot-glowing face. And she spoke again._

"_I'll do my best… for you. Okay? Let's both do our best!"_

For the first time in years, a small smile graced Paul's lips.

"Yeah," he spoke to himself, giving a last glance at the shoreline before it vanished out of his sight. "Let's do our best."

_Dawn... Thank you._

**-Pawn-**

Dawn gave a last glance at the shoreline before it vanished out of sight. She sighed heavily, as that would be the last time she'd see Sunnyshore City in a while. Then she smiled, looking happily ahead as the boat made its way towards the Sinnoh League Conference. That's where her future lay, for now.

After her _Sky Attack-Peck _combination during her battle with May, all the Pokémon had been left standing – but just barely. They were both down to only a few points with ten seconds remaining. Dawn was just about to call out a last attack when May had stopped the battle. She firmly called her forfeit and ran up to her severely injured Pokémon, gently nursing their wounds. Dawn had stood paralyzed for a second before doing the same, gently soothing her hard working Pokémon.

When she had asked the Hoenn coordinator why she had forfeited, May simply laughed and smiled happily at her as she said: "I've been proven that there are coordinators stronger than me out there. In a real contest battle, I'd have lost the moment I got distracted by the air castle. Now I have a reason to keep getting stronger, so for that… thank you, Dawn."

Dawn had felt the same. She still had a reason to get stronger now.

They had said goodbye to May that evening, watching as she left for Hoenn, and then to an unknown destination. Dawn wondered if she should've asked where, as she'd never pass up another battle with the Top Coordinator – but that could wait.

The next day, Ash had battled Volkner for the Bacon Badge, and won with the help of Infernape. Additionally, May's last wish of good luck had empowered his will to the point where loss was out of the question. Now, in the evening, they were already off towards the Sinnoh League Conference.

There she'd see Paul again. She smiled to herself, wondering what he had thought of her parting gift. If she had been right, he had given the reaction she had hoped for ever since the hinted reaction she had gotten when they met at the Pokémon Center.

Dawn really liked Paul. That was something she had come to accept. She'd prove it when they met again. And this time… she'd make sure to hit her mark as well.

She pouted as she thought back to her missed shot. _Damn… why did you have to tilt your head that one second, idiot! I wasn't aiming for the cheek!_

_**End**_

**A/N: There! A strange ending for a strange kind of love… in my head, that is. I was frozen at the point where I wanted the Pawn-ness to jump up. I've never written Ikari-fluff before… I feel like I failed. On the other hand, Paul better watch out now! Dawn isn't letting him get away this time! So there!**

**I feel like I need more understanding of this shipping, though… if you have a good story, don't hesitate to tell me. :] Other than that, I might try a MC for this pairing, but right now… I have some angry fans in the Naruto fandom that needs feeding. They're filling my inbox with pleas for food. O_o I'll see what I can do for them, but my mind is so into Ikari right now… damn.**

**Okay, that's it for now! Thank you for reading! *bows* (_ _)**

**-TKCat**


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